Mavs bring back Chandler in trade

Tyson Chandler, who helped the Mavericks win it all in 2011, is back with Dallas.

Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

The Mavericks and New York Knicks agreed Wednesday to a six-player trade that returns center Tyson Chandler to Dallas three years after he helped win a championship only to leave right away in free agency.

The Mavericks sent guards Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington and center Samuel Dalembert to the Knicks for Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton.

The Knicks also get both of Dallas' draft picks Thursday, a pair of second-round selections at Nos. 34 and 51. New York didn't have a draft pick before the first major personnel move since Phil Jackson took over as team president.

“The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues,” Jackson said. “We have added players with this move that will fit right into our system while maintaining future flexibility.”

New York is hoping to keep Carmelo Anthony despite the star forward planning to opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1. The Mavericks are reportedly on a short list of new destinations Anthony will also consider.

Chandler was the emotional catalyst for the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavericks when they beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the franchise's first title in 2011.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made the much-debated decision not to offer him a long-term contract because of concerns over how the new labor deal would keep Dallas from making other moves. Chandler, who had a history of injuries, turned down a one-year deal worth about $20 million for the security of a four-year, $55 million contract with the Knicks.

Sources: Rockets trade Asik: In the first step of the Rockets' offseason plans to clear cap space and sign another star, such as Anthony or LeBron James, Houston agreed to deal backup center Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans for a 2015 first-round draft pick, an individual with knowledge of the deal told the Houston Chronicle.

The trade cannot be official until after Thursday's draft because the Pelicans are sending this year's first-round pick to Philadelphia. Teams aren't allowed to owe first-round picks in consecutive seasons.